What's What & Who's Who in Sci-Fi & TV As Reported By Steve Eramo

Masterpiece Mystery!

06/23/2009

[caption id="attachment_1513" align="aligncenter" width="199" caption="David Tennant takes over the reins this fall as the new host of the PBS series Masterpiece Contemporary. Photo copyright of the BBC"][/caption]
ONE of Britian's most popular actors has been named the new host of Masterpiece Contemporary on PBS. David Tennant, well-known to fans of British television for his acclaimed star turns as Doctor Who and Casanova, will make his hosting debut when Masterpiece Contemporary returns in October 2009 with Endgame, a drama about the last days of apartheid.
"How many actors can nail the characters of Casanova and the Doctor?" says Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton. "David's talent, versatility and unique appeal make him the perfect match for Masterpiece Contemporary.
"I'm honored to be hosting the series that introduced American audiences to programming such as Casanova and He Knew He Was Right," says Tennant. "And it's a thrill to join the Masterpiece family of hosts: Masterpiece Mystery!'s Alan Cumming and MasterpieceClassic's Laura Linney."
Tennant's award-winning run [2005-present] in the classic British Sci-Fiseries Doctor Who has gained him worldwide recognition. His other iconic television roles include the flirtatious vicar Reverand Gibson in Masterpiece's He Knew He Was Right; the infamous 18th-century lothario Casanova in Masterpiece's rollicking miniseries, playing the youthful counterpart to Peter O'Toole; and the down-at-the-heel Inspector Peter Carlisle in the cult hit Blackpool.
His career, launched in his native Scotland, extends to film and stage. Millions of moviegoers know him as Barty Crouch Junior in the blockbuster Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Ginger Littlejohn in Stephen Fry's Bright Young Things. He recently worked with Bill Nighy, Romola Garai and Julie Christie in the Stephen Poliakoff film 1939, which will be released later this year.
A graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD), Tennant developed his stage career at the Royal Shakespeare Company. He recently completed a successful run as Hamlet with the RSC.
Masterpiece Contemporary will return in October 2009 with Endgame, a gripping new drama about the final days of apartheid in South Africa. Starring William Hurt (Damages), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Dirty Pretty Things, American Gangster, Serenity) and Jonny Lee Miller (Eli Stone, Trainspotting), Endgame premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival.
As noted above, photo of David Tennant is the copyright of the BBC, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any form. Thanks!